


A Duet

by PerStephanie



Category: EXO (Band), SHINee, Super Junior, SuperM (Korea Band), 소녀시대 | Girls' Generation | SNSD
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horror, Blood and Injury, Broken Bones, Dream Sex, Drinking, Explicit Sexual Content, Haunted Houses, Horror, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Psychological Horror, Sexual Content, Succubus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:55:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28083537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerStephanie/pseuds/PerStephanie
Summary: The house was everything Jonghyun wanted, and more.
Relationships: Choi Minho/Kim Kibum | Key, Kim Jonghyun/Lee Taemin, Lee Taeyeon/Choi Siwon/Lee Jinki | Onew
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7
Collections: Taemythological Round One





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first attempt at a 'horror' story, hopefully I didn't miss that mark too badly. Please pay attention to the tags, as they are important. 
> 
> Prompt Number: Prompt #9 Mythos 11  
> Prompt: Taemin is a supernatural creature; Ghost/Incubus and Jonghyun is his love interest. 
> 
> And as always, here is the link to the playlist to go along with the story:  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vnXCZEjL01ma765Xb8YFg?si=J7F92lqCRhiNikzxasrxiw

**Awakening**

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

“Yea, but how much are you paying for it?” Jinki looked from the old three story Victorian back to Jonghyun.

“It’s really affordable, surprisingly.”

“Probably means there’s something wrong with it.”

“No, everything’s fine inside.”

“Everything you can see.” Kibum interjected.

“When was it built, do you know?” Jinki asked.

“Construction was started in 1884, and finished the year after. A couple of really famous brothers were the architects; the realtor told me who they were, but I can’t remember.”  (*1) 

“Bet the plumbing’s gone.” Jinki said, “If you run the taps and get brackish water, you’ll know why it was so cheap.”

“I never said it was cheap, just affordable.”

“Cheap.” Jinki and Kibum said in unison, Jonghyun rolled his eyes.

“Do you guys want to see inside or not?”

“Yea.” Jinki said smiling.

“Might as well, you dragged us all the way out here.” Kibum added before taking a drink of his Starbucks. 

They walked up the steps to the massive double stained glass, solid primavera wood doors. Once inside, they stood in the marbled floored vestibule. On opposite sides of the doors were two built-in polished elm benches, facing them was the grand staircase. The first banisters had built in lights, the coffered ceiling high above their heads. 

“I bet you get great acoustics in here.” Kibum sang, testing it out.

“Oh this is nothing - wait ‘til we get to the ballroom, that's where I'm gonna make my studio. "

"How many rooms does this place have?" Kibum finally asked after what seemed like an eternity of Jjong parading them around what was turning out to be a mini-Victorian mansion. 

"There are 18 rooms."

"18..?" Kibum looked at his best friend over the rim of his glasses, "what are you going to do with the 13 leftover rooms?"

"I don't know, something, I'm sure. Besides, I assume you guys could crash here whenever, so having a few extra bedrooms and bathrooms isn’t a bad thing." Jonghyun smiled and motioned them forwards further down the hall.

The trio went through the entire house room to room, finishing the tour at the middle of the hallway they had just walked down. 

"This is the coolest thing about the whole house."

"A painting?" Jinki asked, looking at the seemingly unimportant portrait of some Victorian person, if dress was anything to go off of. 

"No." Jonghyun's smile widens. 

"A wall panel?" Kibum shrugged. 

"No." Jonghyun was almost beside himself with joy. "This." He pressed on the panel just to the side of the painting and the wall opened up, revealing a hidden staircase. "These are the servants' stairs. They start in the basement, travel up through the house with exits on each level, and end at the tower. This staircase is the only way to get up there."

"It's really dark and crowded looking…" Jinki gulped. 

"I'll protect you from the dark." Jonghyun said as he flicked a switch. The stairwell sparked to life with the soft, yellow glow of lightbulbs. 

The trio made their way up the stairs to the 18th door. Jonghyun tried every key he had, but none fit. 

"Lovely door, but are you going to actually open it?" Kibum questioned.

"I’m trying, but none of the keys I have seem to fit. The realtor must have forgotten to send it with the others." He said, pulling out his mobile to send her a text, but as soon as he opened it, it blinked a warning;  **LESS THAN 5% BATTERY LIFE REMAINING** , then blinked off. “The battery is dead.” Jonghyun said exasperatedly, "I just charged you this morning."

"Maybe there was an app running in the background you didn't know about that zapped the battery?" Jinki offered. 

"Must have."

The three turned around and made their way back down the stairs where Jonghyun instantly plugged in his mobile, sending a text to the realtor as soon as it had enough power to do so. 

"So, housewarming?" Kibum looked to Jonghyun across the kitchen table.

"Not ‘til I have my furniture, but yes; I was thinking of making it a fancy dress affair."

"What theme?" 

"Late 1800's Victorian, of course." 

"Oh of course." Kibum rolled his eyes. 

Later, Jonghyun walked his friends to Kibum's car and waved goodbye until the Hyundai Grandeur was out of sight. 

It was too late to go to Miss. Erzulie’s - the realtor - her office closed at five, and it was already half past. So Jjong opted to take a walk out in his back garden.

He walked into the hedge maze that took up the centre of the garden. He had walked it once before with Miss. Erzulie; she took him directly to the middle where there was a white marbled statue of a figure clad in a decorative lorica segmentata  (*2) \- strips of metal around the waist, complete with shin and forearm guards. The face was delicate, the stone eyes somehow warm and kind looking down at anyone who looked up. The lips parted just slightly as if in silent prayer. In one hand the figure held a lit torch, and in the other a set of scales. The statue's hair fell in soft rolling waves to the shoulders, the feet left bare. The figure was placed in the centre of a fountain, the water just shy of reaching it. Three marble benches were placed around the fountain looking out at the flowers that lined the hedges. When Jonghyun had been there previously, he felt instantly at peace. He found the centre after finding a few of the dead ends, each with its own marble bench. He wondered who the statue was modeled after - the carver’s lover perhaps, or maybe someone who they thought to be beautiful. Jonghyun imagined a tale of unrequited love, and the only way the carver could express his devotion was turning his beloved into an immortal statue for everyone to gaze upon even long after their death. 

Eventually, he turned around and wound his way out of the maze back to his new home to find a pack of ramen and a bed to sleep. Tomorrow the movers would come and bring his things, and he was anxious to get the house set up. 

He picked a room with a private bath and separate changing room, a private balcony, and a sitting room as his own. Miss. Erzulie had said it was what would nowadays be called “the Master Suite”. To get to the bedroom proper, you had to cross the sitting room, which had a desk in the middle facing the outer door. Floor to ceiling windows lined the right wall, allowing sun to flood into the room during the day. They had heavy drapes you could pull shut to keep out the cold of night. On the opposite wall there was a fireplace, a tall bookshelf, and two deep brown leather chairs with a small round table between them. The floor was carpeted with the exception of a small section around the fireplace which was tiled. The wall behind the desk held double doors that opened into the bedroom; it’s walls were dark mahogany wood and a thick rug lay under the bed, though the rest of the floor was hard wood. Across from the four poster bed, there was another fireplace and an overstuffed maroon chaise lounge. The bed itself was large and soft, the mattress new, with curtains surrounding it that one could pull shut for sleeping or simply for privacy. On the left was the door to the changing room which held dressers and closet space, a small mirrored desk and cushioned chair with a full length mirror. Through that room was the bath: the bathroom was segmented with a small closet-like space that held the actual toilet, and a larger room that contained a shower enclosed in glass and a large claw foot tub. Along one wall ran a marbled countertop with two sinks and gilded oval mirrors. The ceiling held two skylights, one of which was above the tub. Jonghyun was looking forward to a late night bath staring up at the stars, but that would have to wait for another night, as tonight he just wanted to sleep. 

He undressed to his pants and climbed into the bed under the thick duvet. No sooner did he find that perfect comfortable spot did he hear a faint sound…

_ Music. _

_ A piano being played. _

_ The melody was melancholy, but sweet. Jonghyun threw the covers back and climbed out of bed - the air was cold on his exposed skin. He pushed open the double doors, walked past the desk in the sitting room and out the main door into the hallway. The music grew louder and louder the closer he got to the stairs. Moonlight filtered through the windows casting overgrown shadows onto the floor, his footsteps falling silent on the stairs as he walked down to the main floor. The doors to the ballroom were thrown open, a soft yellow glow spilling out on the wooden floor. Just as Jonghyun reached the doorway, the music stopped and the room turned dark and cold. All of a sudden, the doors slammed shut and fear ran through Jonghyun’s veins like icy water. _

_ A chill came over him as he watched an impossible shadow grow to monstrous proportions behind him. He spun around to face an empty foyer. Suddenly he was back in the hallway running towards his room, the moonlight gone, replaced by dark shadows which held red glowing eyes. He felt hot breath on his neck, and talon-like fingers grabbing at his arms and legs. He screamed out, but no sound came. The floor liquefied, and Jjong began to sink as if in quicksand. The more he struggled, the faster he disappeared into the abyss below him. The faint sound of laughter could be heard as if coming from the entire house itself. _

Jonghyun woke with a start in his bed, the first rays of morning light peeking around the curtains.

“Just a dream.” He reassured himself. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, grabbed his mobile off the nightstand and disconnected it from the charger; the time read 6 o’clock. The movers were scheduled to be here in two hours. Rubbing the back of his neck, he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom for a shower before heading down to the kitchen for breakfast.

He removed his pants and let them lay in the middle of the changing room where they fell. Jonghyun turned on the hot tap, letting the water run to warm up. He looked into the mirror and decided he should probably shave his face. By the time he was done shaving, the bathroom was filling up with steam. Testing the temp with his hand and finding it satisfactory, he climbed into the shower and under the hot water. Letting it run in rivers over his shoulders, down his chest and back, he leaned backwards to let the water wash over his face. Wetting his hair, he pumped some shampoo into his hands, rubbing them together before massaging it into his thick bleached hair. He was still debating on dyeing it a light pink colour, his favourite shade of pink. He rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, before combing conditioner in. Letting that sit for a moment, he took up his loofa and added an ample amount of pine and rosewood scented body wash onto it. Starting at his neck he lathered himself up, scrubbing his entire body, not caring about the water that washed the suds down the drain. He squeezed his loofa out and took a pump of La Mar face wash to finish the showering process. He rinsed off with much cooler water, letting the conditioner rinse from his hair before stepping out to towel himself off. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked back to the mirror where he literally slapped moisturizer onto his face and combed his hair back. He’d let it dry naturally today, since he’d just be spending the entire day unpacking and setting his house up. 

He threw on an old pair of denim jeans with torn knees and an oversized black shirt, paired with some round rimmed glasses. At the last moment, he added a lightly tinted lip gloss and his favourite pair of trainers.  (*3)

Jonghyun made his way down the hall, swallowing the previous night's nightmare. Walking down the stairs, he noted that they made noise almost as if in protest of the added weight. Once on the main floor, he couldn’t help but look towards the ballroom. The doors were closed, no audible sound could be heard behind them.

Still.

Jonghyun crept closer to the doors, hand outstretched to open them, his stomach doing flips in anticipation. In his mind's eye, he could see the lights dimming, dimming until the house was pitch black - the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he shivered despite the warm summer weather. He had just placed his fingers lightly on the brass handle when a bell went off, causing Jjong to jump and scream. Clapping a hand over his mouth and one to his chest, he rolled his eyes - the front door. Someone was here. Shaking himself out of his self-induced panic, he walked to the front door. 

Jjong opened the doors to empty space. He sighed heavily and shut the doors again, started walking to the kitchen only to have the bell ring again. Turning he opened the doors again, and again found no one. No sooner had he shut the doors again did the bell ring. He flung the doors open one last time, this time shouting into the void; “This isn’t funny!” He slammed the heavy doors shut again, this time ignoring the bell’s ringing and stomped towards the kitchen making a mental note to call a repair service for the front bell. 

After getting some coffee and toast in his stomach, he walked around the house with a notepad and pen making notes about what he wanted to do with each room, even making little doodles of how he wanted things to look. The house was gorgeous, but dated. He wanted to modernize it but keep the antique aesthetics. 

His studio was going to take the most work. Sound-proofing it and dividing it into two parts - one with mics and instruments, the other with the sound board and computers. He’d throw an overstuffed sofa in that half too. And dark, he wanted that room to be dark-cozy. 

In the library he wanted thick red carpet, and tons of comfy overstuffed chairs, and loveseats, and of course books and art. 

The kitchen was pretty much fine - just needed newer appliances. 

The first floor done, Jonghyun made his way up the stairs, ignoring the feeling of being followed. The hallway seemed to close in on him as he walked down it, the shadows growing, the paintings taking on a sinister feel. He tried to shake off the sensation of someone’s breath on his neck. Then as he hit the halfway mark in the hall he heard it, a voice of a man,  _ “What are you doing?” _

He turned around, facing empty air, but the presence was still with him. Crowding in on him, seeping into him. 

_ “Let me out.” _ It was a whisper. 

_ “Let me out.” _ It was a demand.

_ “Let me out.” _ It grew louder each time it was said until it was a shout.

_ “LET ME OUT!” _ And the shadows grew larger, more menacing. Surrounding Jjong forcing him to curl up on himself. He held his hands to his ears, closed his eyes tight, and screamed; 

“ **STOP!** ” 

And just like that, it was gone. The shadows, the voice, the feeling of being watched - haunted.

“Get it together, Jonghyun. There are no such things as ghosts.” 

Catching his breath, and fanning himself, Jjong continued on his mission to make notes for the house. He got so caught up in his work that he didn’t even realize when the sun had gone down. 

He made his way to the bedroom, crawling under the covers, rubbing his hands over his face. 

_ His mind drifted to the sound of a piano once again. The music was solemn, melancholy, calling - drifting through the air to him.  _

_ Jonghyun sat up, threw his covers off, grabbed his mobile and walked out into the hall. His mobile’s battery died, cutting the light. The hall was illuminated by the moon pouring through the open windows, a breeze blowing the curtains out into the hall; they slid across his person like hands trying to stop him from going down the stairs.  _

_ The walls dripped with ichor, and the scent of rot filled his lungs, the floorboards eroded away at his feet. Dead leaves blew in a circle at the bottom of the stairs, shattered glass on the floor bit into his feet. He could hear laughter and chatter from the ballroom, glasses clinking together in celebration. Warmth spilled from around the doors, and light from within called to him in welcome. Peering through the keyhole he could see his friends, Jinki and  _ _ Taeyeon laughing at something Siwon had just said. Minho holding on tight to Kibum’s hips that were swaying to some unheard song that a blond man played on the piano. Heechul and Momo dancing, Taeyong and Mark laughing over drinks. Jjong tried to open the doors, but they were stuck shut. He banged on the wood, kicked at it, desperate to get anyone’s attention, to let him in. Lucas looked right at the doors as he passed by, but did not hear Jjong’s shouting. And the shadows, they grew closer to him. Held onto him, pulled him away from the doors. Back into the darkness.  _

_ He felt claws dig into his skin, tearing his flesh off his bones, teeth sinking into his neck devouring him. Eating him whole. Blood filled his mouth every time he tried to scream for help. Until the darkness had him. _

Jjong sat up in bed drenched in sweat, panting, voice raw from screaming. 

He showered and dressed, and made his way down the stairs. As he passed by the front doors the bell went off again. He looked toward it, “I’m not falling for this again, you can just keep ringing, I’m not going to answer it.”

Then he heard the familiar loud laugh of Minho, before he heard him say “Ouch.” 

Jjong opened the front doors  and on the veranda stood Kibum and his boyfriend, Minho. 

“Jinki will be by after class, but we thought you could use a little help decorating,” Kibum pointed to himself, “and a little muscle.” He thumbed behind him to Minho, who waved emphatically at the now grinning Jjong. 

“The movers aren’t here yet, but come in. I was just about to get something to eat.” 

The trio walked to the kitchen, Kibum mentioning which rooms were where as they pastpassed to Minho who had missed the grand tour.

“What are you going to do with 18 rooms?” Minho echoed Kibum’s question from yesterday.

“Well, I’m going to be using some of them, you know: kitchen, bathroom, laundry, bedroom, and ballroom; which I'm going to convert into a music studio once everything gets here. The other rooms, I was thinking about leaving them as is for guests.”

“Guests?”

“Yea, if I have to hear Jinki complain about another roommate for an entire year I’m likely to go crazy.” 

“Ah.” Minho's mouth turned upwards in a devious grin. “So you’re not against me and Kibum spending the night here or there either?”

“Nope. And with as many bedrooms as this place has, I won’t even be bothered by the sounds you two make.” 

Kibum paled and then punched a laughing Minho in the arm.

“What? I take it as a compliment I can make you moan so loud.” 

“You wish!”

“I know.” Kibum turned his head away from his boyfriend who was moving in to kiss him. 

“Ah, young love” Jjong smiled at his two friends as he turned into the kitchen. "Omelettes ok?"

"Yea." Minho said, taking up a seat on one of the stools lining the centre island.

"Good, you can whisk the eggs and milk. Ki, could you help me chop some veggies?"

"Putting us to work already I see." Kibum's tone slightly annoyed, but the two other men knew him well enough to know he wasn't serious about it at all. 

"I  _ could _ do it all, but it’ll take longer you know." Jonghyun returned with a sweet smile. 

"Fine, where are your knives?"

With all three of them working together, they made short work of food preparation - three times as fast, in fact, so they had time to actually sit and talk before strangers would invade, hauling Kim Jonghyun's entire existence into this house.

"So how was your first night?" Minho prompted as soon as they were all eating. 

"Fine."

"Nothing weird like happened or anything?" Minho's tone suggested he knew something Jonghyun didn't. 

"No..?"

"Really? Nothing at all?" Minho slumped visibly. 

"Leave off." Kibum hissed at his boyfriend. 

"What is going on?" Jonghyun set his fork down and folded his arms across his chest as he sat up straight. 

Minho shot a glance at Kibum, who had pinched his thigh hard under the table.

"He's got it in his head your house is haunted." Kibum said, throwing his hand up and gesturing towards his left at Minho whilst rolling his eyes. 

"Haunted?" Jonghyun laughed, but the fear of last night took root again in the back of his mind like a thistle in the ground.

“Yea, like by ghosts.” Minho said before shoving another forkful of food into his mouth. “The story goes, the guy who had this place built took people from Arcata to his home, killed them, and buried them somewhere on the property."

"If he was a murderer they would have locked him up." Kibum rolled his eyes.   
"Couldn't. He was too wealthy and powerful. He owned the largest factory in this area, probably the whole country."

Jonghyun’s mobile buzzed loudly against the counter top causing him to jump a bit. 

Letting out a small laugh, he answered the call. "That was the movers, they're at the end of the drive. I'm going to go wait by the door." Jonghyun announced as he hung up the call. "You guys should finish though, and Minho you can have the remainder of mine if you like." 

He pushed himself away from the counter, and walked out of the kitchen down the hall to the main door. 

The hall was eerily silent, and windowless, then suddenly the sound of footsteps fell in behind his. Not heavy enough to be Minho, must be; "Really Ki, go finish eating." Jonghyun turned to face a completely empty hallway. His heart quickened inside his chest. Had he been imagining it? Did this hallway echo? He couldn't remember… 

Just as he was rationalizing his way out of the panic that was rising in his stomach, he heard someone behind him take a deep breath, exhaling it at the back of his neck. Jonghyun spun around and again faced an empty hallway. 

Jonghyun closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, softly chuckled to himself. Minho's story was still fresh in his mind. He'd likely imagined the lot of it. He rolled his eyes and finished walking to the door, ignoring how quick his pace had gotten.

He opened the front doors and stood on the front patio. He was just cursing himself for not bringing his coffee with him, when Kibum stepped out - Jonghyun's mug in one hand, his own in the other. 

"You ok?" Kibum questioned.

"Yea." Jonghyun scoffed. 

"You're just very pale."

"What's new about that?"

"It's not your usual pale."

Jonghyun smiled at his best friend as the lorry pulled up, saving Jjong from having to admit to his school boy fears of a haunted house. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. En Musique

**En Musique**

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

“Careful with that, please. My whole life is in your hands.” Jonghyun visibly flinched when the movers simply plopped his musical equipment on the carpet in the ballroom, the last room to be unloaded. 

Once all of his equipment and boxes of cords were in the room, Jonghyun carefully unpacked and set it all up, only rearranging the room twice. He was thinking about moving things ever so slightly, when Minho told him he'd be moving it all alone; apparently twice was his limit, and without all four of them, Ki and Jinki both decided it wasn't worth it. Jonghyun sighed. This set up wasn't terrible, he could live like this - and if he was being fair, he'd admit that they were all exhausted. 

Recording anything would have to wait. He wanted a shower, maybe some toast, but mostly he wanted the soft embrace of his pillow top. And if looks could kill, Minho's would have devoured Kibum by now. 

"Let's go grab the rest of the chicken and beer," Jonghyun suggested, "before I'm a witness to cannibalism."

Kibum smacked Minho on the arm when he let out a low growl in the back of his throat and lightly snapped his teeth right next to his ear, causing a quick ripple of goose flesh to wash over his skin. 

Jinki and Jonghyun collectively rolled their eyes at the two younger men's playful interactions. You could say they were still in their "honeymoon phase", but they had been a couple for the past few years; the elder two were skeptical that they'd ever move out of it. They started simultaneously ushering the other two towards the kitchen. 

They ate quickly, leaving Jonghyun and Jinki to clean up. They did offer to help, but their host refused, saying something about their help not being helpful. 

They tried to hide their hasty departure and rather rapid ascent up the stairs but were unsuccessful in the end. 

Kibum took to the steps first, slowing his pace, swaying his hips deliciously side to side, knowing very well it would draw Minho's attention; his arse always had and tonight was no exception. 

It didn't take long before he felt the large hands of the younger man start their slow upward caress towards his waist. 

Kibum stopped dead and turned to Minho, slightly looking down at him and said: "Keep your hands to yourself, Choi Minho," before continuing up the staircase in that slow, seductive way, driving poor Minho half mad with desire. 

However, Minho didn't lay one breath on Kibum. 

"I know you're staring, Minho." Kibum said just before the landing of the hall. 

"Not even trying to hide it, Bummie."

"Pervert."

"Lover of pervert."

Even though Minho was behind Kibum on the stairs going up for the night, he could hear the eye-roll from his lover. 

Once the two were on the even landing, Minho sped around Kibum, dropping into a formal bow before asking with all the respect a subject would give to his King. 

"May this completely unworthy man touch what was made by the creator's own hand? 

"I cannot stand you sometimes." Kibum said in a whine. 

"Then let me lift you up." Minho responded, springing up, hooking his hands on the elder man's hips as he did so to lift Ki up and onto his own waist. Supporting his lovers back with one hand and using the other to cradle his head, Minho pulled Kibum close into an open mouthed kiss. 

A kiss that Kibum welcomed, and moaned into.

"What am I going to do to you?" Kibum breathed against Minho's lips with eyes closed, fingers intertwined in Minho's thick dark hair. 

"Let me spend all night making love to you." Minho smiled, but continued to carry and kiss his amour down the hall to their room. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

“You should head on up, too. I’m just gonna throw the boxes away, everything else can wait until morning.

“There’s no harm in waiting for you so we can walk up together.” Jinki made it sound like Jjong would be doing him a favour, so Jonghyun didn’t protest. The two made quick work of the take away boxes and walked up the long staircase. They decided to walk sluggishly after counting a slow ten to even start, giving Ki and Minho ample time to flirt up the stairs - Minho’s voice dropping down to them every once in a while. 

“If I ever get that obnoxious, tell me.” 

Jinki laughed at Jjong’s statement. “Bold of you to assume they didn’t learn that behaviour from you.”

“When did I ever?”

“Only every time.” Jinki shook his head and took the first step. 

Jinki had picked a room closer to the stairs than any of the rest, and therefore met his door first. Hugging Jjong good night, he closed the door and made his way to the twin bed that awaited him. 

Further down the hall, but not yet quite as far as his own, Kibum and Minho were already inside. As he passed their door, Jonghyun could have sworn he heard a sharp gasp followed by a throaty moan. Despite all of his protesting, Jjong felt the contrary; he did kind of envy them. Not their happiness, but their closeness. It had been over a year since he and Kyuhyun had broken up, and he hadn’t been with anyone since, so he was acutely aware of when a tingling sort of electricity ran over his skin when passing the sounds of lovers loving behind a closed door. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

No sooner had the two lovers managed to get behind their door did Minho all but slam Kibum up against it, causing Kibum to sharply gasp a breath, which Minho responded to with a throaty moan dripping with want. 

“Fuck, me, Minho.” 

“Gladly,” Minho grinned as he drew the breath from Kibum once more into a kiss. 

Kibum pulled and yanked on Minho’s shirt until the offending piece of material was off his body and discarded on the floor. Minho took the opportunity to undo his trousers when Ki held his own weight against the solid oak door behind him; Minho then worked Kibum’s pants off. 

Breathless from kissing, Minho gently pushed himself deep inside his lover. Holding firmly onto Kibum’s waist, Minho pushed until he couldn’t any more, giving Ki a moment to get accustomed to him, and at the elders signal he began to slowly thrust in and out - paying close attention to his lovers wordless responses. Knowing by now what every little twitch and moan meant, anticipating the rise and fall of his lover's passion; it was that skill that melted Kibum every time, sending jolts of intense pleasure and strokes of tantalizing gentleness. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jonghyun shut the door to his sitting room, the moon casting his shadow long across the room as he crossed it to get to his bedroom, every step he took sending shockwaves of pleasure through him. He shut his bedroom doors as well, stripping naked before laying ontop of his bed, languidly letting his fingertips barely trace across his lips, up over his chin, sweeping down his throat, across his left collar bone brushing against his chest, pulling lightly on his right nipple. He let his fingers dance down his abdomen and tight stomach, further down to his erection. 

With his thumb, he gathered up the first few drops of precum and lazily began moving his left hand up and down his shaft. It wasn’t long before his pointer finger and thumb were lightly tugging and twirling his left nipple, letting the small hard nub rub between his fingers as he groped more of his pectoral. 

Slow waves of building pleasure started to wash over him. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Moaning unabashedly, Minho fell over the edge into ecstasy. Followed quickly by his lover who shook slightly with each pulse and jerk of Minho still deep inside him. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

_ Jjong turned off the water, opened the glass door to the shower and stepped out to grab his towel. Just a quick rinse as to not go to bed sticky.  _

_ It was very quiet at first, barely even perceptible. Jonghyun closed his eyes and focused all his attention to his ears - he could just hear it floating through the air: the sound of a piano. Not the same melancholy tune from last night, this tune was faster, almost playful.  _

_ The tempo was fast, then almost cluttered like someone falling before sweeping into a melody that was as commanding as it was intriguing. Jonghyun walked down the hall as the sound grew louder. Again, like last night, the lights in the music studio were on, and that was definitely his piano being played by unknown hands. Jonghyun reached out for the handle, pulling down and stepping out onto the grass of his back garden.  _

_ He walked the path, fog filling in the spaces behind him, to the centre of the maze where the marble statue stood. Jonghyun rounded the last turn before finding the statue, but when he looked up he found a man standing there, almost completely covered in shadow. He was turning his head towards Jjong, face nearly exposed in the light. He was starting to say something when Jonghyun opened his eyes.  _

Jonghyun woke up feeling fully rested, something he hadn't felt the day before. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> (∞) The playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vnXCZEjL01ma765Xb8YFg?si=J7F92lqCRhiNikzxasrxiw


	3. Pandora’s Box

**Pandora’s Box**

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

"Ah, Mr. Kim! You're early." Betlinde Weber, Kiandra Erzulie’s young assistant. 

"Oh." He smiled at Linde, but his eyes said that he had a thousand other things he’d rather be doing than waiting on Kiandra.

“I could help you, if you don’t mind. You’re just getting a key and signing the deed, right?” 

“Yea.” 

“Follow me.” Linde motioned for him to walk with her into Kiandra’s office. 

Her office was, well, full of books and loose papers. However, that didn't offend Jjong - his own work spaces often taking on a similar look. 

Even though the office seemed unorganized and cluttered, warm light filtered through the windows which Jonghyun noticed contained circle shapes in the glass.

"Witch eyes." (*1) Linde smiled at Jonghyun breaking whatever spell he was under. "Legend has it that evil cannot come into your home if you have these."

"Does it work?" Jonghyun looked at her. 

"I have never met a witch to ask." She laughed, it was a low deep sound, like it came from the very core of her being. 

"Oh."

"But the people of the 1700's, when this building and most of the town was built, were very superstitious people. However, it’s also a way that early window makers knew how to build stable, strong windows."

"Oh yea, guess that makes sense. They're pretty, though. A lot of buildings here have a very attractive aesthetic I've noticed."

"Yours being at the top of that list, now wherever did she put those papers? I swore they were just here." She quickly thumbed through a stack of papers on the desk.

Jonghyun's eyes were drawn to the older looking books crafted by hand, and likely by the person who wrote whatever was inside it. Soon he found his head following the long line of them on the top row when Linde exclaimed: "Kerplunk!"

"I'm sorry, what?" Jonghyun's attention instantly snapped back to the young woman.

"Found the deeds." She smiled as she handed the documents over to Jonghyun before offering her pen to him so he could sign it, therefore making the purchase of the property and everything therein legally belonging to a one Mr. Kim Jonghyun.

Jonghyun couldn't help but notice that even this was seemingly a work of art. 

The paper itself was a faded wheat colour, the fibers clearly visible and edges uneven. Obviously self-made. Each paragraph started with a very ornate letter, like the kind monks used to do in Scriptoriums and what looked like hand written calligraphy. It held one other signature, but the letters were slightly faded and a bit smudged, making the name illegible. 

"You can keep this. This form," she tapped the document that Jonghyun held in his hands, "this one is yours and is the original deed, which is why it's a bit more,” she paused, seemingly looking for the right word to say, “ornate. And then this form you sign and turn into the county's courthouse." She added handing Jonghyun a simple typed form. "They say the exact same thing, only this one," she motioned to the older paper, "because of language used, it’s of no use to the courts."

Jonghyun looked down at the document in his hands once more and saw the document was in Latin. It wasn't a language he had much of any knowledge of. 

"So this one I can keep?"

"Yea. A lot of people like to frame them."

"Could I sign this one too then? If I wanted?" Jonghyun asked tentatively. 

"It's yours to do what you like with it." 

Jonghyun signed the legal paperwork so Linde could notarize it, and with his artist's heart, he also signed the original document under the only other name.

Linde then presented Jonghyun with an oddly shaped key. “This is a skeleton key, it should open all the doors in your house.” 

Jonghyun took the offered key and pushed it into his trouser pocket. 

“Well, I do believe that concludes our business for the day. Enjoy your new home, Mr. Kim.” Miss. Weber said, smiling. ****

Jonghyun took up the hand offered to him with a smile on his face. 

He stopped by the shops on the way home and got a couple things to tide him over for a while. Takeout the past few days for lunch and dinner had played havoc with his system. His dreams, when not terrifying, were just as disruptive; he hadn’t woken up that horny since he was in secondary. 

He was going to have to find that equilibrium in his new house and quickly, or he might just actually go mad. When he got home, he placed the deed and key on the corner of his writing desk in his sitting room, and then immediately went to make some lunch, leaving both to be forgotten in the chaos of getting his house set up and party ready.

He spent the whole day going room by room unpacking and setting his things to right. 

Eventually his body ached so much that he was forced to make the long walk up to his room, purposefully ignoring the creeping feeling of being watched in what he knew was a completely empty house. 

“Enough Kim Jonghyun! You’re not five anymore.” He said under his breath as he shook the notion out of his head to run to his room and hide under his covers because he’d somehow be safe behind it’s heavy wooden doors, under his covers hidden from the world. 

But he couldn’t help exhaling the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as soon as he heard that reassuring click sound as the door latched into place behind him. 

He walked past the manila folder that held his decorative deed and key now buried under other things. 

Collapsing onto his bed, he turned his head to the side, opening his eyes to the long corridor leading up to the locked room. He looked back down the stairs and turned his head back to face the locked door. 

He reached for the knob as if going through lead. He could feel someone's hands tracing down his hips, pulling him back into themselves.

He felt his body starting to respond to the euphoria that was emanating from those caressing hands. Jonghyun closed his eyes. 

Then his phone vibrated once and the personalized ringtone for Kibum began.

Jonghyun opened his eyes, grabbed his mobile: eight o'clock a.m. Then the phone rang again, Jjong accepted the call.

“Hey Ki.”

“Just calling to make sure you’re up. We’re heading over to help set up for the party.” 

“Yup. I’m up, just got to grab a quick shower.”

“K. See you soon-ish. Bye.”

“See you then.”

Jonghyun opened Spotify and put his favourite playlist on shuffle and walked into the bathroom to get cleaned up. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

After they had set up the rooms that would be used, they made sure each had their own respective bedroom keys so they could lock those rooms before people started showing up; no one liked stumbling into a room they were expecting to be reserved for them and finding it in use. Well Jinki never seemed to mind, but Jinki just had that kind of luck where things like that weren’t an issue. After all, that’s how he had fallen into his current relationship with Taeyeon and Siwon.

Jonghyun had just finished pushing his blouse into his trousers when Kibum waltzed through his bedroom door. 

“I’m here to help.” 

“I can dress myself.” Jonghyun raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, but you can’t accessorize for shite. So I’m here to help. Be thankful, hyeong.” 

With Kibum’s help Jjong was dressed in no time, and together they used his vanity to apply their makeup. 

“Do you have any setting spray?” Kibum asked, rummaging through Jjong's makeup kit. 

"Yea, it's on the table in my sitting room."

When Kibum didn't come back right away Jonghyun went looking, "Did you get lost?" Jonghyun said rounding the corner a laugh building in his throat. 

He found Kibum leaned against the desk - the setting spray in one hand, the ornate deed in the other. 

"I totally forgot about those." Jjong said, taking the skeleton key from the envelope. "Wanna go see what's behind that door?"

"Tempting. But no, though I bet Minho would love to. What are you going to do with this?" Ki gestured towards the deed. 

"Don't know, Miss  Erzulie said it's not really valid anymore," Jjong scrunched his face up and hunched over trying to make himself look older, "It's too old." He put on a quaking voice for effect. "I was kind of thinking about framing it, but I don't know where I'd hang it."

"Hhmmm. Well, let me spray your face before you run off." Kibum set the deed down and sprayed Jjongs jutted out face. 

"Sure you don't want to come?" The elder said as he put on his coat-tails and top hat. "Last chance."

Kibum waved his hand, shooing Jjong away who, key in hand, turned and left calling out to Minho as he went. 

When he had gone, Kibum snatched up the deed, tucking it in his pocket before finishing his own costume. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jonghyun skipped down the hall calling out to Minho as he did so, every fiber in his body buzzing with electricity, like a child on Christmas morning.  He was so excited that he didn’t even notice how the house seemed to be buzzing with him in anticipation.

“Minho! MINNNNNNNN-HO!!” 

“Yea?” Minho stepped out of his and Ki’s room wearing patent black leather boots and pressed black trousers, an almost too tight white shirt, with a three button black vest over it, a silver chain tucked into his watch pocket, a black silk ascot tied expertly around his neck, a shiny black silk tophat on his head, and a deep red crushed velvet coattails over one arm. 

“Wanna go with me to open a door that I’ve not opened yet?”

Minho’s bright smile turned into a look of confusion. 

“There’s a secret staircase in the wall that was made for the servants when this place was built and goes up to the tower, but it’s been locked for who knows how long because the realtor forgot to give me the key.” he said, holding the key out slightly in front of him. “But I have the key now, so wanna go unlock a door with me?” 

“What are we even still doing standing here, lead the way!” Minho exclaimed, excitement spreading like a virus from Jjong to him. 

Jonghyun grabbed the taller man's hand and raced to the panel in the wall that hid the staircase. He pushed on it, and watched as it opened revealing the narrow stairwell. 

Minho produced his mobile phone from his pocket just as Jjong flipped the light switch.

“Oh.” Minho put his mobile away and followed Jjong up the stairs. 

The stairwell was hot, humid, and Jjong was almost vibrating. He could not deny that the excitement was building to something greater, something almost desperate. Minho stuffed his hands in his pockets, Jonghyun felt an almost palpable desire in his core, turning into something much more demanding. He put the key into the lock.

_ “Hyeong…” _ , Jonghyun felt hands slowly traveling down his hips.

Jonghyun bit his lip. 

"Hyeong? Is everything alright?" Minho's tone was calm, but questioning. One of his giant hands on his shoulder as was his custom. 

The stairwell’s temperature dropped noticeably, and it was as if the spell he had been under had been broken. 

Minho cleared his throat, and asked again, "Hyeong, are you ok?"

"Yea, I'm fine. Just a bit all over the place." Jonghyun shook his head dismissively, and turned the key in the lock. The door opened up revealing a small room, the space almost taken up by a bed, a dresser, a night stand with a wash basin and pitcher on it, and a small wooden chair. Oddly though none of the furniture was covered with sheets as others in the house had been, and not a speck of dust was on any of it. If they didn’t know better the room would have looked lived in. 

“Cool room. I’m gonna go see if Kibum needs help. You okay to walk back on your own, or do you want me to wait for you?" 

“Yea, no I'm fine, but thanks just the same. Ki will want to do something about your face.” 

"There's nothing wrong with my face." Minho said as he touched his face for added effect. 

Jjong nodded, "He'll still want to do something to it, I'm sure." He smiled at the younger man. "I'll be fine." 

Jonghyun walked into the room, and opened the top drawer of the dresser. Inside he found neatly folded ascots and handkerchiefs. He also found a small black leather bound book with unevenly cut paper inside. He flipped through it, it seemed to be a daily schedule from ages ago. 

The other drawers held clothes, the night stand didn’t have any drawers. 

Jonghyun took the schedule with him. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> (∞) The playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vnXCZEjL01ma765Xb8YFg?si=J7F92lqCRhiNikzxasrxiw
> 
> (1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_glass_(window)


	4. Soirée

**S** **oir** **é** **e**

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Jongin said as he looked at the blonde man he had just backed up into. “You ok?” He smiled looking up and down at the man standing before him. 

“I think. I shall live.”

“Kim Jongin, but my friends call me Kai, you can call me anything you like.” Jongin offered his hand

“Enchant é.”

“Is there anything I can do for you, or more to the point, to you?” Kai flashed a smile that would have melted ice.

The mysterious blonde man simply smiled and said “Perhaps in another story, ma cher merle.” 

They bowed to one another, and the blonde man made his way further into the ballroom, surveying the room, looking for the one he would recognize by feel.

“I didn’t expect this many people to show up! Thank goodness Baekhyun brought more beer.” Jjong said breathlessly to Kibum as he just finished dancing with Moonbin. 

“Mmh.” Kibum nodded drinking his own beverage. 

"Who's that guy over there?" Jonghyun discreetly looked towards the man in the black coat holding an intricate cane talking to Kai. 

"I don't know, but I do know he's been looking at you the whole night like he wants to devour you."

“Well, he’s not looking like that right now.” Jonghyun stuck his bottom lip out in a pout, spun on his heels to face the opposite wall. “Whoa... I’m really dizzy right now. I’m gonna go get some fresh air.” 

“Mmm.” Kibum waved his hand as if dismissing his friend from his presence. 

**⊱** **──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jinki felt the warm soft palm of Taeyeon fill his perfectly. He smiled down to his girlfriend who smiled kindly back up to him. He knew that look all too well. 

"Have you been drinking?" 

"No, have you?"

Taeyeon shook her head no. 

"And Siwon?" 

Again the girl shook her head no. Jinki raised his right eyebrow slightly, inciting a small giggle from his girlfriend before she turned, taking a pliant and willing Jinki in search of their boyfriend. They found him without much trouble. At parties, they just had to find a gathering of bodies, Siwon was almost always dead centre telling some joke or an engaging story. He had this kind of naturally magnetic personality that drew you to him - a trait both Taeyeon and Jinki admired and found incredibly attractive. 

Siwon noticed his lovers approaching right away, but being the consummate performer that he was, he finished his story before making his exit from the crowd, deeply kissing both his lovers in turn. 

He didn't need either of them to explain, the tension between the three of them was palpable, and intent clear. Even if it wasn't, the bulge in Jinki's trousers and blush on Taeyeon's face was a dead giveaway. 

He didn't object, just smirked and said; "That eager are we? Lead the way Mr. Lee."

Jinki's smile widened as he turned, leading them to the stairs and to his room.

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jjong made his way through the crowd, out the back door and into the cool, night air. There were people outside as well, some chatting on the veranda while others were walking around. Jonghyun decided to head towards the maze. There might be less people there, and it would definitely be quieter. 

He made his way to the centre of the maze noticing others leaving or sitting close to one another in the alcoves. It was a perfect place to snog. He was cursing himself for not bringing his coat as he rounded the final curve to reveal the marble statue. 

What he saw before him made him stop dead in his tracks. He found  a man standing there, dressed entirely in black, standing mostly in the shadow. Jonghyun’s mouth opened, but before a sound could be produced the man started to turn towards him. His face being exposed in the light thick lips drawing into a smile as his eyes drew Jjong closer to him. 

“I’ve always found this very spot to be immensely calming, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Jonghyun walked up next to him getting a clear view of his defined jawline, his straight nose, high cheekbones, and full lips. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jinki opened his door and held it for the other two, locking it as soon as the bolt slid into place. 

"Oh so eager, Hyeong." Jinki said as he turned around, already slugging out of his jacket and stepping out of his shoes. 

Siwon lips were pressed against his a second later. 

"Glad to hear it." The elder whispered before meeting Jinki’s tongue with his own. 

The three made their way to the bed between kisses and removing each other's clothes. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

_ Jjong’s whole existence was consumed for just the briefest of moments, causing the whole world to shift on its axis. All Jjong could focus on were the shape of this man’s lips, and how they seemed the perfect fit for his.  _

_ Jonghyun looked up into the wells of his companions' eyes that fell behind the slow curtain of lashes, for a moment in which he was all too aware of the smoldering desire deep inside.  _

_ “Yes.” The word seemed crafted just for him - for this exact purpose. It burned on his lips. _

_ Jonghyun pinioned between the soft cushion of his mattress, and his lover.  _

_ The chorus of soft moans sounding like a hymn, a sweet Hallelujah uttered to some long forgotten deity of pleasure.  _

_ Jjong’s skin sparked alive everywhere as delicate fingers flickered over every intimate area he possessed. His whole being consumed by lust as he felt thousands of hands all over his body, barely touching him, whilst simultaneously grabbing hold, exploring him. Bringing him to the brink of ecstasy, yet denying him any release.  _

_ He lost all sense of thought, time, or reason as he let wave after wave after wave of pleasure to wash over him, drown him until all he could do was writhe and whimper. Desperation and desire dancing over his head thrown back, fistfulls of the cotton sheets, muscles taut and twitching. He was beautiful.  _

_ Then just as he fully came undone, his lover filled him.  _

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

His lower lip was sucked into a bite, and he felt another set of lips on the left side of his throat. He began to thrust upward, feeling the weight of his lover on his hips, clenching around him. 

The hands with their feather light fingers setting off shock waves of pleasure over his skin.

Jinki rode his pleasure as long as he could before he surrendered to it fully. He fell asleep tangled between his lovers. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> (∞) The playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vnXCZEjL01ma765Xb8YFg?si=J7F92lqCRhiNikzxasrxiw


	5. Let Me Out

**Let Me Out**

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jinki woke up Taeyeon’s head resting on his arm, and Siwon curled up behind him, holding him and Taeyeon protectively. He smiled to himself, and pulled the blanket up a little further on Taeyeon’s shoulder. 

“Thank you baby.” 

Taeyeon and Siwon were the only ones to call him that; to everyone else, he was ‘old man’. Even Jonghyun called him that, and they were only sixteen weeks apart. And if Jinki was honest with himself, he liked being looked after in this relationship, so he smiled at the comment and closed his eyes. 

He kissed Taeyeon lightly on the head before angeling his head back slightly to give her a bit better position to lay in as the three of them held each other lazily, content in the warmth of the embrace. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jjong woke the next morning with his head throbbing but warm in his bed. He rubbed his temples as he sat up, taking in what damage he had done to his room to get into bed since he couldn’t remember how he got here. 

A shiver ran over him as the sheet slipped off his arm, down his chest before settling in his lap, his body still hot from his dream. 

He had swung his legs over the side of the bed in search of the trail of clothes he normally left in his wake, but he found none. In fact, if at all possible, his suite seemed more tidy than it had been before the party. Jonghyun scratched his head as he turned on the hot tap in the shower. 

Jinki, Taeyeon, and Siwon all went up shortly before he went outside, he had watched the trio make their way up the stairs giggling with each other barely keeping their hands off each other. The last person he remembered talking to was that guy in the maze. His eyes shot wide for a moment as his body remembered his dream from last night. 

Viscerally. 

He tried to remember how he got into his bedroom, his bed, how did he get naked, and why were his clothes folded nicely over a chair in the dressing room? He knew for certain that the dream was in fact just a dream. There was no body soreness like there would be, had it in fact really happened... 

Had Minho and Kibum helped him? 

Jjong finished washing and turned off the water, when the thought occurred to him; had that guy helped him up? 

“Please God, say you didn’t allow me to make a fool of myself.” Jonghyun said as he walked out of the bathroom tying his robe loosely around his waist. 

“He never listens.” The voice was melodic, and soft. Despite this Jjong jumped and let out a short scream in alarm. 

“I did knock, but well, you didn’t answer,” The taller blond man motioned to the inner bathroom, “You seemed pretty far gone last night, so I thought I would bring you a bit of breakfast and some aspirin.” He then pointed to the tray sat on the bed. He turned to leave, but stopped at Jonghyun’s voice.

“Did you,” Jjong paused slightly, “put me to bed last night?” 

“Yes.”

“Did you take off my clothes and fold them over the chair?”

The man looked over his shoulder at Jjong and said; “No, and yes. In the order of your questions. Enjoy your breakfast Mr. Kim.”

“Oh, thanks.”

The other man slightly bobbed his head before continuing out through the sitting room to the hall. 

The night before came flooding back to Jjong. It left a raw metallic taste in his mouth, like sucking on copper.

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Kibum rubbed his head, Minho’s arm heavy over his abdomen, curling around him reflexively as he sat up. 

“Mmmph!” Minho nuzzled his face in Kibum’s side, pulling him close, and back under the covers. 

“Minho, I have-”

“No.” Minho interrupted “You stay.” He snaked his other arm around his lover, holding him firmly in place and opened his chocolate eyes, sleep still clinging to the corners. 

“You’re lucky you’re so cute first thing in the morning.” Kibum relinquished, and cuddled up next to the man who held on to him.

“Want.” Minho used his hips to grind urgently against Kibum. “Want, Want, WANT!”

“When do you not?”

“I’ll let you know if I ever find out.” 

Minho pressed his lips against Kibums, forcing his tongue between his lovers lips, opening them to his tongue. He climbed over Ki’s right leg, and knelt there, pushing both of his lovers legs up and over his hips. Give Kibum a lovely view of his want. 

“Want, please.”

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

“Yes.” The word fell out of Jjong’s mouth before he had fully processed that he was going to say anything, let alone that. 

Taemin stopped at the door, turning his head ever so slightly to the sound.

The ivory keys were warm under his fingers, gliding over them with practiced craftsmanship. He closed his eyes focusing on the sound, his breath steady, measured, until all he could sense was the melodic tune of a piano far away...

_ The emerald carpet was soft under Jjong’s glowing skin. Jonghyun felt the feather light touch of fingers glide over his body. _

_ Lips pressed his lips, he opened his mouth inviting a tongue in to explore. The weight of a body pressed between Jjong’s leg, knelt there, carefully positioning.  _

_ “Yes.” _

_ Jonghyun’s senses exploded in ecstasy as he felt his lover effortlessly glide into him.  _

_ He arched his back following the wake of fingers pressed into his flesh dragging downward grabbing onto his hips, impaling him. He grabbed onto arms pulling his lover down to him, wrapping his arms and legs around his lover's body. Feeling every inch of him through the darkness as he was submerged in desire.  _

_ A fire spread through Jjong’s body until all he could see was white, the only sound the hammering of his own heart as his seed exploded from him. _

Jonghyun opened his eyes rolling over on his bed, body spent, but heavy nonetheless.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> (∞) The playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vnXCZEjL01ma765Xb8YFg?si=J7F92lqCRhiNikzxasrxiw


	6. Best Intentions

**Best Intentions**

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Kibum walked up to the counter, the rolled up deed in hand, “How much to get this framed, and can I pick it back up?”

“Well, that depends on what kind of frame you want. If you just want to pick something off the shelf you can wait right here whilst I do it. If you want a handmade frame, that could take a day or so, depending on how ornate you want it to look.” 

“Well I don’t want it to look like I picked it up at the 99p shop. I want it to match the beauty of what will be in it.” He unrolled the deed.

“I see what you mean. Come back at the end of the week.” The man said measuring the deed, making notes in a small book that he took from his shirt pocket. 

Kibum nodded, rolled the deed back up, and headed out of the shop to meet the rest for lunch.

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Kibum noticed the extra makeup on Jjong’s face, even if the other two didn’t. 

Making an excuse to go to the toilets with Jjong, Ki got up and all but dragged Jonghyun with him. 

Kibum pinched Jjong’s chin in his fingers, turning the older man's face towards the light.

“You’re gonna need a better concealer for those circles, love. Wanna tell me what’s going on? Got a lover keeping you up all hours?”

“Yea, a real dream.” Jjong laughed, but it came out too forced.

“Okay, you have exactly five moments to tell me what’s going on, or I’m staging an intervention.” 

“It’s nothing.”

“Jonghyun-hyeong, I love you, but you are a terrible liar. Now, what is going on.”

“It’s the house. It’s just taking more out of me than I thought it would. I’ll be fine.” 

“Fine. But if it’s too much, just take a break.” 

“Will do.” Jonghyun smiled what he hoped was a reassuring one at his friend. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jonghyun walked slowly back to his home. Every step growing more and more uncertain, like a part of him wanted to just cut ties and run, but not all of him. And that almost terrified him more.

He let his head fall, focusing on his shuffling feet. He clasped his hands together on the back of his neck, gently rubbing at the base with his thumbs. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Kibum watched his best mate trudge down the street back towards the bus that would take him home. He saw the drastic shift in body posture. Something more was up with Jjong, and come hell or high water, he’d find out.

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jonghyun shut the doors to his house, letting his head fall against the wood, and exhaled the breath he had been holding. 

The upper floor groaned and creaked as if someone was pacing the halls. Jjong slowly tilted his head upward, towards the stairwell. He blinked slowly, counting silently to ten and the sound stopped, but that did nothing to dispel the sense of impatience he felt vibrating through the walls.

Jonghyun looked down at his mobile; 3:00 pm. Three more hours until sun set. 

He walked to the piano in the ballroom, sat down and began playing a soothing melody, light and lingering. He began to scratch out notes for the feel of the song, possible lyrics, other instruments? No, just piano, he thought. It was clean, simple, but so very expressive. 

Jonghyun walked out into the back garden, through the maze with the melody still playing softly in his head. The notes dancing over the strings, violins and violas, before the lower harmony was brought to life with wind instruments. 

The air felt warm around him, like a bath calming him. He didn’t even feel his feet touch the ground, but he was sure he was walking towards the centre. 

He rounded the corner as the music hit it’s crescendo, and there he was, the tall blond man. 

“Hi, Taemin.” The words slipped past his soft pink lips and into Taemin’s ears.

“Good evening.” A smile coloured his face, teeth gleaming in the last rays of the suns fading light, and in the distance the soft sound of piano.

All Jonghyun could see was the outline of the curtain that surrounded his bed, the smell of sweat and desire pungent in his nose as his ears were filled with a wet squelching noise and the low moans that escaped his lips. Every inch of him covered in blistering heat that threatened to consume him. Then suddenly he was floating on nothing, engulfed in air and feather light touches. He opened his mouth gasping for breath only to feel his lover fill his mouth. His senses overcome with the musk that set his body ablaze again. Every nerve electrified almost to the point of pain had it not been for the waves of his own pleasure at being engulfed as he was. 

Jonghyun opened his eyes to look his lover in the eyes in that final moment of pleasure. 

Jonghyun’s eyes opened to emptiness, the blankets a tangled mess around his legs, cool air playing over his warm skin.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> (∞) The playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vnXCZEjL01ma765Xb8YFg?si=J7F92lqCRhiNikzxasrxiw


	7. Crescendo

**Crescendo**

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Kibum went back to the shop he had commissioned the frame from, the deed safely tucked in his bag. With the help of the framer, his gift was put together, and he was admiring it when a honeyed voice behind him said; “My, what a beautiful piece.” He turned to the sound and saw an older woman behind him, eyes glued to the now framed deed, mouth up-turned in a smile. 

“Thanks.” Kibum made to walk past the woman, when she placed a hand on his arm preventing his leaving.

“You must tell me where you found it, you see I am a collector of old things, and I would love to buy one myself.”

“It’s not mine, it belongs to my friend, and he got it when he bought a property not far from here.” Kibum looked down at her hand, then back to her eyes. 

She removed her hand, “I see. How lucky of him.” Her smile never once leaving her face. 

Kibum had pushed open the door when she spoke again, “I wonder, does your friend know what it says? I’d be more than willing to make a translation for you.”

Kibum turned back to face her, head tilting ever so slightly, and she knew she had him right where she wanted him to be.

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jonghyun walked into his bathroom, and began filling the tub with hot water. He added a bit of scented bath salts and lit a few candles as was his habit when he needed to relax and think. He turned on a playlist on his mobile, and climbed into the warm water as the sound of piano came across the speakers - quick and playful taps.

He took a deep breath, the warm water enveloping him, the sound of a piano being played softly somewhere. Slowly he exhaled and opened his eyes to stare up at the ceiling. The feeling of weightlessness growing, reaching up and throughout him like tendrils. 

_ He slipped his hand under the water, leisurely tracing up his thighs, up over his pelvic bone, then lightly dragging his nails up over Jonghyun’s abdomen.  _

_ Jonghyun closed his eyes as shivers ran over his body despite the warm water surrounding him. Lips pressed against his, tongue licking them open - the taste of honey filling his mouth.  _

_ “Slowly, please…” The voice a melodic whisper pleading in the back of his mind.  _

_ Jjong wasn’t sure if the feeling of melting was due to the warmth around him, or inside of him.  _

_ A quick lick to the helix of his ear left a train of searing heat and a matching wave shot out through his core as his lover permeated every pore of his being, driving him mad with lust.  _

_ Jonghyun’s legs pinned to his chest, a steady warm breath spilling rhythmically over his shoulder. He felt a set of satin lips press against the crook of his neck. The kiss opened to a lick before a bite - deep, so deep that Jjong felt it in his trapezius, but even that only served to push him closer to the precipice.  _

_ The lapping sounds fading to the pulsing of his own blood throughout his body. The warmth shooting up over his entire body. _

His eyes shot open, his neck held by the quickly cooling ceramic under it. He shivered slightly as he climbed out of the cold water, drying off before wrapping himself in a warm robe and fuzzy house shoes. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

As Jonghyun entered the hallway he heard the opening of  _ All Of Me _ , the piano playfully quick, as if dancing around a ballroom. It didn’t take Jjong long to realize that the hall was unusually dark for the time of day it was. He looked to the windows on either end and saw sunlight, the kind that should be filtering in, yet it didn’t seem to penetrate the house. 

And he could no longer hear the piano. 

In fact he couldn’t hear  **any** sound at all. Not even the sound of his own heart beat.

Jonghyun started to run towards the stairs, fear washing over him, pulling him down, like running through mud. Like time was slowing down. 

He closed his eyes and screamed as a paralyzing pain shot through him. 

Then suddenly he was next to Taemin in the parlor, standing across the room was Minho and Kibum and between them an elderly woman that almost seemed familiar to him. 

He looked to Taemin, who was just standing back up, face twisted in pain and something darker. 

“Jonghyun!” Kibum shouted “Get away from him!” 

“Ki-” Jjong was interrupted by Taemin who sucked in a sharp breath of air before reaching out to Jonghyun as another bolt of agony shot through him, causing both men to fall to the floor. 

Jonghyun thought he heard Kibum scream something, but all he could focus on was the pair of brown eyes pleading from besides him. He watched as Taemin’s angelic features tensed right before his body was wracked with another shot of pain. 

_ “Please…” _

Kiandra Erzulie shrieked something in Latin and Kibum watched as both the succubus and his best friend fell to the floor writhing in pain. 

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?!” Kibum yelled pointing to Jjong. When she didn’t answer him but said the same thing again causing his friend to scream as if he was being torn apart, he screamed louder, this time remembering she said that the power was in the spell - and the spell was that piece of paper. He looked back to Jonghyun and the man who laid prone beside him. 

“Et succendit eam incendium.” He said, as the room began to glow and warm with fire. Kibum knew what he had to do to save his friend. 

He made a move for the deed in Kiandra Erzulie’s hands. When suddenly he found himself flug across the room only to slam into the hardwood wall, sliding to the floor, a loud ringing in his head as his eyes struggled to focus on the shifting coloured pattern that he was sure was the room and all within. A deep insistent baritone voice slowly filtering through the confusion.

“Ki! KIBUM!” Minho’s panicked eyes searching his face which he held tenderly against his bicep. 

Kibum moved his lips, but he was unable to make any noise. He swallowed as Jonghyun and the other guy both screamed again, they were getting weaker. Kibum inhaled a deep breath and reached up grabbing Minho’s shirt and shouted “BURN IT! BURN THE DEED!” 

Without hesitation Minho laid Kibum down gently before springing up turning around and snatched the deed from Kiandra’s hand, tucking into a roll and thrusting his hand in the flame of the fireplace before he himself was knocked back across the room, landing with a loud thud and groan against the floorboards. 

The pain left Taemin much quicker than it did Jonghyun who opened his eyes just in time to see his lover vanish into thin air with the witch Kiandra. He curled in on himself and filled the silence with his broken sobs. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> (∞) The playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vnXCZEjL01ma765Xb8YFg?si=J7F92lqCRhiNikzxasrxiw


	8. あなたの暖かさだけが私の冷たい心を溶ける。

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again, Ryu for the Japanese translation.

**あなたの暖かさだけが私の冷たい心を溶ける。**

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jonghyun closed his eyes tighter, turning his head, wiping away his tears at the sound of Kibum entering his room. 

“I’m…” Kibum started weakly “He was a monster. Jjong.”

“No.” Jonghyun wanted to yell it, wanted to rage against his friend, but the sound came out a choked whisper. The better part of him knew that Kibum was just doing what he thought was best. I mean, it wasn’t like he had told any of his friends what he had done. All they could see was the toll it was taking on him. He’d have done the same. But logic never was a good panacea. 

“No. He might have been an Incubus, but he was not a monster.” Jonghyun closed his eyes as fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. “He…” Jjong felt Kibum’s arms wrap around him, and as much as he didn’t want to be touched right now, especially by Kibum, he didn’t have the strength to push away, so he just melted into the embrace sobbing into his friend's lap.

“He told me what he was, I knew. I…” Jonghyun said in a voice too small to be heard, before his voice broke into fresh sobs. 

“Shhh. It’s okay, it’ll be okay.” Kibum’s voice was soft and calming as he stroked Jonghyun’s hair off his face.

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Taemin looked down from his tower at the three men that stood outside his home. They were talking, and although he could not hear what they were saying, he could feel it when they entered the house. His house. A flash of possessive rage coursed through him as he felt them going room to room. He had recognized the shortest of three as the one that Kiandra had brought by the other day. So this was her move; it had been a century since she had tricked him into this bargain, and he had long since grown tired of her game.

He had done everything he could think of to run this new roommate out like so many others that had wandered into this trap, but for some reason this one persisted. Then soon the others started to stay, and their lust fed him in ways he had forgotten. It awoke in him his own greed and lust, and he couldn’t find the strength to deny his desires the night Jonghyun opened his door. Releasing him to the world. 

The night of the party he came down from his tower looking for his new master. 

Taemin stood in the centre of the maze half in the shadow, half out, feeling each footfall of Jjong as he approached him from behind. 

Before Jonghyun could say hello, Taemin turned to face him, a smile lighting up his face. His own power of want, drawing Jjong closer. 

“I’ve always found this very spot to be immensely calming, don’t you?” Taemin said bowing.

“Yes.” Jonghyun said as he walked up next to him.

“You must be the new owner of this old house.” Taemin’s velvety voice filling the night.

“Yes, I’m Kim Jonghyun.”

“Lee Taemin.” 

“Do you live around here Mr. Lee?”

“Yes.”

“Oh? Across the street perhaps?”

“Much closer than that.”

“Much closer? That’s the only other house near to mine.” Confusion fell over Jjong’s features.

“You see,” Taemin pointed to the tower causing Jonghyun to turn to look.

“That’s my house.”

“Well that’s where I live, that’s where I’ve lived for a very long, long time.”

“How is that possible? I would have seen you by now.” The full gravity of the implication bouncing off Jjong in his intoxicated state.

“Magic and demonic powers.” There was something about the matter-of-fact tone in Taemin’s voice that made Jonghyun believe.

“Magic and demonic powers.” 

“Yes. I am an Incubus. A demon of passion.”

“I thought Incubus’s were a demon of lust.”

“Tomato, tomato. .” Taemin shrugged nonchalantly. 

“So are you here to devour my soul?” Jonghyun laughed.

“Seems a waste, but if it is what you desire.” Taemin drew closer to Jjong who sat down after hitting the marbled bench with the back of his legs. 

Taemin watched as Jjong’s eyes fell to the curve of his lips, the shapes they formed as he spoke, and the heat washing off of him onto Taemin. 

“I know you can feel it. We’re tied together.” Taemin’s breath falling like light kisses over Jjong’s lips. 

“I…” Then something pungent filled Taemin’s nose.

Fear.

He pulled away from Jonghyun, smiling again at him. “Fear doesn’t suit you.” 

“Are you really going to take my soul?” Jonghyun’s voice was unsteady.

“No. Well, not without your consent.” 

“My consent?”

“Yes. Even the Devil needs consent.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I don’t. I’m a demon, not an arsehole.”

“I…” The stench was receding as Jjong’s fear dissipated. “I don’t want you to devour my soul.”

“Then I won’t.” Taemin got up, took a hold of Jonghyun’s hand, kissing his knuckles lightly as he bowed over it. Taemin turned on his heel and walked around the corner of the maze.

Jjong got up to rush after him, but Taemin was nowhere to be seen. So he just sat back down on the marbled bench, curling up on himself, unsure if what he had just done was the right thing to do as a sense of despair filled him.

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jonghyun swallowed the bitter metallic taste in his mouth before rushing to grab Taemin’s arm before he could vanish again.

Taemin looked to Jjong’s fingers curled around his arm curiously, a smile slowly spreading across his face as he slowly brought his eyes up to meet Jonghyun’s. 

“Yes?” 

“I…”

“You?”

“Will you starve if I don’t?”

“No.” Jjong let his hand fall away from Taemin’s arm. “I feed off of passion, and they’ve offered so much already.” Taemin indicated towards the others throughout the house.

“Are you killing them?” Jonghyun’s eyes flew wide.

“No.” Taemin sighed, and took Jjong’s hand into his. “An Incubi can not eat a person’s soul. What sustains us is passion. I do not need a soul to live. Just passion - and I don’t even have to be involved in it to enjoy it. Does this make sense?”

“Yes.” The words played over Taemin’s ears as he dived into Jjong’s innocent eyes. 

“Good. However, we are an instrument to Damnation, but we need consent for that. Now that, that is cleared up.” He again turned to leave.

“So-” Jonghyun started again, Taemin stopped at the door, turning his head ever so slightly to the sound, “So how would this work? You, know, if I agreed?”

Jonghyun was sure the temperature of the room spiked at least a hundred degrees as a wave of undeniable desire washed over him. 

“However you wanted it to work.”

“Oh-ok. I think I will help you, as long as I can keep my soul.”

“You think?”

“I mean,” Jjong’s eyes fell to the floor, “I mean, Yes. I consent to feeding you.”

“Alright.” Taemin smiled again, and started to leave the room once more.

“Wait.” Jonghyun called out, halting Taemin, “Don’t we need to, ‘seal the deal’?”

A devilish grin spread over Taemin’s face, and in a blink he was quite close to Jonghyun, oozing pheromones that made Jjong dizzy, the last sound he clearly understood was “Sleep”. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Kibum walked out of Jonghyun’s room, closing the door behind him. He'd been worried about his friend before, but now, now he was terrified. 

Jonghyun did always love hard and fast, but he'd never acted like this before. Jjong hadn't left his room in a couple of days. Minho had managed to get him to eat at least a piece of toast this morning, Jinki could usually get him to drink water. 

Kibum walked downstairs in the house that somehow now felt immense and empty to the kitchen where Minho a _ nd  _ Jinki sat talking. 

The latter both looked up when Ki entered the room. 

“Any change?”

“No. If I didn’t know better I’d say he was somewhere between mourning and detoxing.” 

“If I ever see that jerk again…” Minho left the sentence unfinished.

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jjong felt the carpet under him and the feather light touches of Taemin’s fingers over his body. He arched his neck ever so slightly searching for his lover’s lips, which once found opened his with expert ease. Jonghyun opened his legs allowing Tae to kneel between them, positioning himself carefully at his entrance.

“Yes.” The whole of Jjong’s body lit up with feverish delight as Taemin effortlessly glided in and out of him.

Arching his back as Taemin drew sharp lines in his flesh with the tips of his fingers-driving him to the precipice of orgasm, only to finally drown him in ecstasy. 

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Kiandra Erzulie sat across a little cafe table from Kibum, eyes narrow in disbelief. 

“So you’re telling me that this isn’t a deed to a property, but a contract between a  succubus  and a witch?”

“That’s what it says.”

“And because my friend’s name is on it, now the  succubus  is free to feed on him?”

“Yes.”

“You’re insane.” Kibum stood up to leave but was held back by Kiandra’s hand.

“Tell me, has your friend started to look, worn out? Tired? Perhaps pale and lethargic?” Kibum’s mind filled with recent images of Jjong, who embodied all of those descriptions. “You’ll know the feeding has begun once those appear-but the more that they do the less time he has before his life is lost to the demon.”

“Let’s say that I might believe you, how would I even know who this demon is?”

“Has anyone come into your friend's life recently? Someone with unearthly beauty?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“If anyone has, trust me, I’d know.”

“Would you?” The doubt in the question crept into Kibums brain like a 

parasite. 

“I… Of course, he tells me everything. Even when I don’t want to know 

about it.”

“Unless he was incapable of telling you.”

“Could the  succubus  prevent him?”

“How would  _ I _ know what a  succubus  could do?”

Kibum crossed his arms over his chest, and stared off in the distance for a 

moment before leveling Kiandra with a direct look.

“How do we find out?”

“You take me to him. I can call the demon out, make it reveal it’s true form, 

and banish it back to hell where it came from.”

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Taemin knew instantly when  Kiandra set foot on the property, his hands falling away from the piano keys. He had been waiting for that bitch to show her face again. This time he was ready for her. At least, he thought he was…

She waltzed in as if she owned the house,  _ his _ house, with her walked the two that Taemin had felt several nights-they were lovers, their fingerprints all over each other, and the lust that washed off of them instantly gave Taemin a rush. 

“Who are you?” The taller of the two demanded.

“Isn’t it obvious Minho my dear, this is the demon.” Taemin’s eyes flashed red as latin spilled from her lips. 

Minho instinctively stepped in front of his lover, shielding him, as if his body would prevent Taemin from ripping them to shreds if he so chose. 

Footsteps - running - Taemin could hear Jjong’s feet swiftly carrying him down the stairs to him. He saw the microshift in Kiandra’s body posture. He would no longer be the target: she was going to use his lover. 

Taemin lunged at her without a second thought, it was then that he saw what she held in her hand-the contract. 

He crumpled to the floor like a wadded and discarded piece of paper. Agony twisting him as she flicked her wrist. Stupid. He was stupid for not noticing before. But how did she get it? Him! The shorter one, the one Minho was protecting. The look of satisfaction told him all he needed to know. 

Then he heard Jonghyun scream and his world stopped. 

He heard the short man yell something at Kiandra, but all he could hear was Jjong’s screams of pain as he writhed on the floor next to him.

Taemin focused his will just enough to speak to the man making demands of the witch,  _ “Burn IT! You have to BURN IT!!” _

“Et succendit eam incendium.” Taemin managed to say through gritted teeth, and the room began to glow and warm with fire from the fireplace. And Taemin knew the other man knew what he had to do to save his friend. 

Kibum pushed away from Minho making his way towards the deed in  Kiandra Erzulie’s hands. But before he could grab it, he was flung across the room to slam hard against the hardwood wall, sliding to the floor, a loud ringing in his head as his eyes struggled to focus on the shifting coloured pattern that he was sure was the room and all within. 

Slowly he registered the deep, insistent, and increasingly worried baritone voice of his boyfriend filtering through the confusion.

“Ki! KIBUM!” Minho’s hands held tenderly onto Ki’s head, his eyes panicked, searching Kibum’s face for recognition. Once Ki’s eyes focused on Minho’s face, Minho pulled him close to his chest.

Kibum tried to speak, but no sound was produced. He swallowed and heard his best friend and the other guy scream again, but they were getting weaker. Kibum inhaled a deep breath and reached up grabbing Minho’s shirt and shouted “BURN IT! BURN THE DEED!” 

Minho searched Kibum’s face briefly, turned to look at Jjong on the floor, and though he was terrified of what burning the deed would do, he laid Ki’s head gently on the ground and sprung up turned around, snatching the deed from Kiandra’s hand before she could register what was going on. He tucked into a roll and thrust his hand in the flame of the fireplace holding both it and the deed there long enough to watch the deed ignite. Then he himself was knocked back across the room landing with a loud thud and groan against the floorboards, the room started to darken around the edges, the last thing he saw was the demon getting up, a wicked grin spreading across his face. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> (∞) The playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vnXCZEjL01ma765Xb8YFg?si=J7F92lqCRhiNikzxasrxiw
> 
> .* the title means: “Only your warmth melts my cold heart.”


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jonghyun heard Kibum exit his outer room, the door making a loud latching sound as it shut. Everything was louder in this house now, louder and colder, like the life of it was gone. The life was gone because Taemin was gone. 

Jonghun folded his knees to his chest hugging them tight, his pillow and face wet with tears. Time seemed to no longer exist in this perpetual purgatory. He was slowly being driven mad by it.

Then far off, the faint sound of a piano. 

Jonghyun turned sitting up, sniffling, wiping his face with the hem of his sleeve. And there he was, the tall blond, leaning against his door frame, a smile slowly spreading across his face. Jjong wanted to run to him, to feel him against his skin, to feel him sink into him. But something held him back.

“Is this real?” His voice hoarse from crying. 

“It’s as real as you’d like it to be. It’s always been as real as you’d like.”

“And if I consent now?”

“Then I will devour your soul.”

**⊱ ──────ஓ๑❦๑ஓ ────── ⊰**

Jonghyun stepped out into the dark hallway, the moon light filtering through to illuminate shadows that grew across the carpeted floor towards his feet. He looked behind him towards the stairs, and could see the light from the floor below. He heard Minho’s voice carried up to him  _ “If I ever see that jerk again…” _ the rest of the sentence was lost against the sweeter sound of Taemin’s.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.” The word that was made for this moment, to be said between these two men. 

A chill came over Jjong as the floor seemed to open up, swallowing him whole.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> (∞) The playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vnXCZEjL01ma765Xb8YFg?si=J7F92lqCRhiNikzxasrxiw

**Author's Note:**

> Notes:  
> (∞) The playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vnXCZEjL01ma765Xb8YFg?si=J7F92lqCRhiNikzxasrxiw  
> (*1) I used the Carson Mansion in Eureka, California as a model for the house. https://www.ingomar.org/about/carson-mansion  
> (*2) the type of armour Romans wore: https://www.swordsandarmor.com/lorica-segmentata-roman-armor.htm  
> (*3) Trainers = Sneakers.


End file.
